Debated in Parliament on 7 May 2024.
Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether he can provide an update on HDB's 2021 pilot project to introduce barrier-free parking at HDB carparks; (b) whether the technology employed for the project is compatible with ERP 2.0; and (c) how effective is the system in detecting vehicles in respect of which parking charges have not been paid.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether an update can be provided on the progress of implementing Parking@HDB, the new smart parking system, beyond the current pilot sites; and (b) what are the lessons learnt to refine the system, particularly on (i) raising awareness amongst motorists of such smart parking systems and (ii) enforcement for any parking offences relating to such smart parking systems.
The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has developed a barrier-free parking system, Parking@HDB, to improve the parking experience for residents and motorists. This system was first introduced in January 2021 as a pilot at Northshore Residences I and II, the first two smart-enabled housing precincts in Punggol Northshore. HDB subsequently extended the pilot to four other car parks in Punggol and two other car parks near the Old Airport Road Food Centre.
Smart cameras have been deployed at these car parks to help detect illegal parking. Motorists who park in an unauthorised lot will be informed to move their vehicle via an alert on their Parking@HDB app. The app will also allow motorists to pay their parking fees via credit or debit cards automatically upon exiting the car park, without having to insert their cash cards into the In-Vehicle Unit or worry about having sufficient funds in their cash cards.
Based on the first pilot at Northshore Residences, HDB has found the enforcement alerts to be effective, with the number of illegal parking cases decreasing by about 60%. HDB has not received any adverse feedback from motorists on the alerts to date. HDB has also observed that motorists experienced some time savings when entering and existing the pilot car parks and that motorists appreciate the convenience of automatic fee deduction via the Parking@HDB app.
The system is compatible with ERP 2.0. When implemented, motorists using HDB's barrier-free parking system will be able to pay for parking via the Land Transport Authority's new ERP 2.0 Onboard Unit.
HDB is currently refining the system and welcomes feedback from motorists. HDB will review and assess the outcomes of the pilot before deciding whether to extend the system to other HDB car parks.
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